The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-15
The Co.Education Issue.

| The Co-Education Issue,
The substitute for the Glenn bill, which
the Senate Committed on Education has re-
ported will, in all probability, meet with
very little, if any, opposition in either
branch of the Legislature. The Glenn bill
had only two votes against it in the House,
aud the Senate, doubtless, would have passed
it if it had been offered an opportunity to
/! vote upon it.
The substitute will accomplish the Same
object that it was proposed to accomplish
by means of the Glenn bill, and will, per-
haps be less criticized outside of the State.
There is not much reason to doubt, how
ever, that those of the Republican papers
that are always seeking opportunities
to create a sentiment unfavorable
to the South, forpolitical purposes, will make
it the excuse for misrepresenting the South
ern people Their utterances, however,
should not influence the course of the Legis-
lature. The people of the State, and of the
entire South, approve of the purpose of the
Glenn bill, which is to prevent the educa-
ton Of white and colored children in the
same schools. The penalty for violating its
provisions may be rather harsh, but it should
not be forgotten that if it should become
a law, it would not be violated ignorantly,
nor by ignorant persons. If violated at all
it would be by those who were well in
formed, and determined to defy public sem
timent
However, it is probable that the substi-
tute will be adopted in the place of the
original BILL and there will be no complaint
if it is, as there is no desire to send to the
chain gang those who insist upon teaching
mixed schools. The only reason why the
Glenn bill, OF its substitute, is favored is to
prevent the establishment of mixed schools,
and the substitute will answer about as
well for that purpose as the original bill.
Some of the Northern journals, in dis
cussing race questions, so far as they relate
to the South, aim only to make party
capital. OF course there is no use in telling
them that they haven't taken the trouble to
get all the facts that are necessary to form
an intelligent opinion They have no use
for facts. What they want are opportu-
mites for partisan work. While tie
discussion of the Glenn bill was going on
a few weeks ago, they were asked to explain
against the colored people at the North to
which their attention was called, but they
made no response. No better evidence was
needed that they had partisan purpose in
view, and that they did not intend to con-
duct the discussion, which they had started,
in a spirit of fairness.
There are some Northern journals which
are sincere in their condemnation of the
Glenn bill, but they appear to labor under
the impression that the condition of affairs
at the South, so far as the races are con-
cerned, is about the same as it is at the
North. They cannot appreciate, apparently,
how great the problem is which is presented
by the existence in every community of two
distinct races, nearly equal in numbers, one
being far below the other in intelligence,
and which the Southern people are endeav-
oriug to solve. If they could see the situa-
ton just as it is it is probable that they
would criticise and condemn some of the
acts of the Southern people which are con-
nected with this problem much less freely
Legislation like that proposed in the
Glenn BILL or its substitute, is absolutely
necessary for the preservation of the public
school system, and no one will deny that
that system is essential to the Improvement
of the black, as well as of the white people.
There are people who favor mixed schools,
and they seek every opportunity to estab-
lish them The establishment of such
schools means the destruction of our public
school system. Shall a few fanatics be per-
mitted to destroy that system3 Is it not
better to preserve the system that the chill
dren of both races may be educated than
that few Unbalanced people shall have the
satisfaction of carrying out their ideasi If
the Legislature is wise it will do what its
common sense tells it is the proper thing to
do to prevent mixed schools. 1t will not
permit itself to be halted by the long -haired
cranks of Boston,